Counseling and Supportive Services
Our counseling and supportive services are
designed to facilitate the recovery of battered women, rape
victims, and adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. By the time a battered woman comes to us, her
outer scars—black eyes, smashed teeth, cuts, bruises, and even
broken bones—may no longer be visible. A rape victim may make her first appointment to begin
therapy years after the assault happened.
Women who come to us often do so because
they are suffering from the long-term psychological consequences
of abuse. These may be
harder to see—sleep disturbances, muscle tension, flashbacks,
chronic pain, ulcers, headaches, extreme fatigue, and suicidal
thoughts. These symptoms
interfere with the ability to function well in their day-to-day
lives. Our clients may
have trouble focusing on work or feel they don’t have the energy
to keep up with their children.
A woman participating in individual therapy
works with her therapist to design a plan to increase her safety
if violence from a partner is still present—or a threat—in her
life. The next step is to determine the effectiveness
and appropriateness of the methods she is using to cope with
the effects of the trauma she has survived. She learns to evaluate her choices, to increase the helpful
coping skills she already possesses and, when necessary, to
develop new positive coping strategies. This increases her self-reliance and sense of self-efficacy
and leads to improved emotional health and a decreased risk
of future victimization.
Our structured groups and other supportive
services provide participants with a safe outlet to meet peers
and understand that they are not alone in the recovery process. Our clients often feel very isolated as a result
of their experiences or because their partners did not allow
them to have other social interactions.
We offer a variety of groups and classes
including Domestic Violence Support Group, Healing Through Art, Building Healthy Relationships, and Building Effective
Communication Skills. Participants
learn from other group members and the staff facilitators how
to re-establish control over their lives.
Our Work Readiness project helps women learn
basic computer skills, put together a resume, conduct internet
job searches, and practice interviewing. Clients who participate in Work Readiness can visit our
Clothes Closet stocked with “gently used” outfits suitable for
a job interview. Other supportive services include Day of Pampering,
Movie Night,
Reading
Group, Writing Group, and Knitting
Group. These activities
help women make new friendships and develop networks to provide
support for the challenges they face.
In 2005, we added a case manager to our
staff. She helps clients
with concrete issues such as employment, housing, health concerns,
and access to legal services. Therapists are then freed to work more effectively on
safety planning, emotional support, and the recovery process.
Individual therapy is provided using a sliding
fee scale and is based solely on the household income to which
a woman has access. The
fee slides to $5 for an hour of counseling. All supportive services are offered free of charge.
Client progress during individual counseling
is measured using two clinical scales. One is completed by the client, one by the therapist. Our evaluation data reveals a statistically significant
improvement on both scales.
The BASIS-32 Scale measures a client’s self-reported
difficulties in daily living. Analysis of scores on this scale
in 2005 revealed that 37% of clients reported statistically
significant improvement (p<.01) between the initial assessment
interview and the first therapy appointment, showing that the
assessment itself is an effective beginning intervention. In addition, 76.9% of those clients who were in therapy
for 12 months reported statistically significant improvement
(p<.001).
The GAF (Global Assessment of Functioning)
is completed by the therapist and records psychological, social,
and occupational functioning on a continuum from “inability
to keep self safe and healthy” to “superior functioning in a
wide range of activities.” Between the first therapy appointment and the
sixth month of therapy, 86% of clients showed statistically
significant improvement (p<.001). By the twelfth month of therapy, 93% showed such improvement.
We measure client satisfaction with confidential
surveys, both during and after therapy. In 2005, 95% of on-going clients reported that
their therapy was helping them make changes in their lives,
and 99% said they would recommend our counseling program to
a friend if she needed similar help. 100% of clients who returned the post-therapy survey
said they had gained more ability to make changes in their lives,
88% said they had learned something about their strengths and
the things they can do well, and 100% said that the problems,
feelings, or situation that bought them to therapy was much
improved.
In 2005, Women’s Support served 322 women
through counseling and supportive services. There were 173 clients in individual therapy. Those are unduplicated figures. Many women took advantage of two or more of the services
we offer.
| Ethnicity
|
| |
|
|
| Caucasian |
61%
|
| African-American |
30% |
| Hispanic |
3% |
| Native
American |
2% |
| Asian |
2% |
| Other |
2% |
| Income
|
| |
|
|
| $0 – 9,999 |
57%
|
| $10,000
– 14,999 |
15%
|
| $15,000
– 19,999 |
10% |
| $20,000
– 29,999 |
8% |
| $30,000
– 49,000 |
7%
|
| $50,000+ |
3% |
| A snapshot of our individual counseling
clients for 2005 |
| |
|
| •93% reported issues of domestic violence in
the past |
| •50% report current domestic violence issues |
| •45% were sexually abused as children |
| •86% experienced some other form of childhood
abuse - emotional or physical |
| •49% have been sexually assaulted as an adult |
| •33% are currently in an abusive relationship
or an unsafe situation |
|
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